Apr 23 LIVE REVIEW: Odette leaves everyone breathless, even herself

I was feeling cynical as a I drove down to Freo on Sunday night to see Odette. So far, 2019 has let me down on the music front – for example, I had just found out that imbi the girl wouldn’t be supporting Odette as promised. I was also feeling increasingly jaded about much-loved venues being refurbished into hipster hangouts.

What I walked into at Freo.Social was the perfect antidote for my weary soul. The night was an absolute joy, from the friendly lady who asked if I was Odette’s mum (note to self, it’s time to relegate that brown cardigan to pyjamas,) to the attentive crowd who sang along instead of talking amongst themselves.

I’d been listening to Regina Spektor in the car and so I was ready for some piano driven anti-folk sounds. But Odette is so much more versatile. Her music is lush, joyful and full of energy. She’s a breath of fresh air in a music scene that has become increasingly pretentious and driven by politics. And I say this as someone who is both pretentious and driven by politics.

Odette loses herself in the music, dancing as if she were alone in her bedroom instead of in front of an adoring crowd. She obviously loves the stage and, throughout the night, interacted with a crowd who constantly vied for her attention. An early asthma attack following one particularly energetic number had her calling backstage for someone to get her puffer. It ended up staying on stage as she sang, played and danced her way through a set peppered with in-jokes and asides. She even sent both the crowd and herself into fits of giggles when reprimanding one particular dude ("Sir, you have the most obnoxious laugh I have ever heard").

I left Odette’s show feeling refreshed. Uplifted, even. It was a night out where no one talked over the music and everyone was there for the vibe, not just to be seen. And it was well worth the drive to Freo.

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We dwell for a moment on what it means to come from Albany and I mention the attempts of the local Famers Market to lay claim to her success. “Why not?” she chuckles. ”I think that’s why I sing so loud is because I had to project”. It makes sense that most Farmer’s Markets don’t come equipped with a fully-fledged PA System and fold back, Carla continues reminiscing, “That was such a great place to play – everyone would give me veggies in my guitar case”.